RAMALLAH, West Bank &#8212; The collapse of the Palestinian Authority, Israel&#8217;s negotiating partner, was raised as a possibility on Monday, as several aides to its president, Mahmoud Abbas, said that he intended to resign and forecast that others would follow.
&#8220;I think he is realizing that he came all this way with the peace process in order to create a Palestinian state, but he sees no state coming,&#8221; Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, said in an interview. &#8220;So he really doesn&#8217;t think there is a need to be president or to have an Authority. This is not about who is going to replace him. This is about our leaving our posts. You think anybody will stay after he leaves?&#8221; Mr. Abbas warned last week that he would not participate in Palestinian elections he called for, to take place in January. But he has threatened several times before to resign, and many viewed this latest step as a ploy by a Hamlet-like leader upset over Israeli and American policy. Many also noted that the vote might not actually be held, given the Palestinian political fracture and the unwillingness of Hamas, which controls Gaza,

How will anyone be able to tell the difference? The PA cannot control anything. That someone somewhere thought they could be a legitimate negotiating partner is testament to the willful blindness on the part of the west, Bill Clinton in particular.

How will anyone be able to tell the difference? The PA cannot control anything. That someone somewhere thought they could be a legitimate negotiating partner is testament to the willful blindness on the part of the west, Bill Clinton in particular.

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Maybe they'll all just get up and leave and go to the other Arab countries now and give Israel back its land?

How will anyone be able to tell the difference? The PA cannot control anything. That someone somewhere thought they could be a legitimate negotiating partner is testament to the willful blindness on the part of the west, Bill Clinton in particular.

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Maybe they'll all just get up and leave and go to the other Arab countries now and give Israel back its land?

Eh, I can dream, can't I?

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They've been living with 30% unemployment for decades already. So I don't see that happening.
If there were a receivership for failed states the PA would qualify.

The Zionists are undermining the viability of any future Palestinian state through their continued land-thievery in the West Bank. Abbas has given up hope... at this point, who can blame him?

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Anyone who was genuinely pro Palestinian instead of just using the Palestinians as an excuse to complain about Israel would blame him. Both Israel and the Palestinians claim the land in question. The way to settle the issue is to negotiate a final settlement instead of insisting Israel surrender its claim before negotiations can begin. Refusing to negotiate has been a losing strategy for the Arabs and Palestinians since 1947 and it should surprise no one it continues to be a losing strategy. This makes it hard to believe those who support Abbas' refusal to negotiate without a freeze on construction are really interested in seeing a Palestinain state.

Of course, Abbas cannot be held entirely to blame for the ridiculous position the Palestinians have taken on restarting negotiations. He obviously was misled by Obama into believing the US would forcefully back his hardline position of no talks without a freeze on construction, but now he has been left hanging by Obama and the Netanyahu government has grown stronger by standing up to Obama's hamfisted assault on US Israeli relations.

The Zionists are undermining the viability of any future Palestinian state through their continued land-thievery in the West Bank. Abbas has given up hope... at this point, who can blame him?

Click to expand...

Anyone who was genuinely pro Palestinian instead of just using the Palestinians as an excuse to complain about Israel would blame him. Both Israel and the Palestinians claim the land in question. The way to settle the issue is to negotiate a final settlement instead of insisting Israel surrender its claim before negotiations can begin. Refusing to negotiate has been a losing strategy for the Arabs and Palestinians since 1947 and it should surprise no one it continues to be a losing strategy. This makes it hard to believe those who support Abbas' refusal to negotiate without a freeze on construction are really interested in seeing a Palestinain state.

Of course, Abbas cannot be held entirely to blame for the ridiculous position the Palestinians have taken on restarting negotiations. He obviously was misled by Obama into believing the US would forcefully back his hardline position of no talks without a freeze on construction, but now he has been left hanging by Obama and the Netanyahu government has grown stronger by standing up to Obama's hamfisted assault on US Israeli relations.

Click to expand...

Sorry. The Israelis are already in the West Bank illegally. The entire WB would need to be part of a Palestinian state; no negotiating. The loons who settled there could either live in the Palestinian state or march straight back to Israel. No more concessions will be made.

The Zionists are undermining the viability of any future Palestinian state through their continued land-thievery in the West Bank. Abbas has given up hope... at this point, who can blame him?

Click to expand...

Anyone who was genuinely pro Palestinian instead of just using the Palestinians as an excuse to complain about Israel would blame him. Both Israel and the Palestinians claim the land in question. The way to settle the issue is to negotiate a final settlement instead of insisting Israel surrender its claim before negotiations can begin. Refusing to negotiate has been a losing strategy for the Arabs and Palestinians since 1947 and it should surprise no one it continues to be a losing strategy. This makes it hard to believe those who support Abbas' refusal to negotiate without a freeze on construction are really interested in seeing a Palestinain state.

Of course, Abbas cannot be held entirely to blame for the ridiculous position the Palestinians have taken on restarting negotiations. He obviously was misled by Obama into believing the US would forcefully back his hardline position of no talks without a freeze on construction, but now he has been left hanging by Obama and the Netanyahu government has grown stronger by standing up to Obama's hamfisted assault on US Israeli relations.

Click to expand...

Sorry. The Israelis are already in the West Bank illegally. The entire WB would need to be part of a Palestinian state; no negotiating. The loons who settled there could either live in the Palestinian state or march straight back to Israel. No more concessions will be made.

Click to expand...

Don't apologize to me. Apologize to the Palestinians. Your are stating what the Arab position has been ever since 1947, and that is the reason there is no Palestinian state today, and that's just fine with people who are more interested in hating Israel than in helping the Palestinians.

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